A Father's Lament
by XFangHeartX
Summary: A near-fatal accident leads Miroku to question himself as a father. MirSan. Read and review, and no flames or hate, please!


Inuyasha:

A Father's Lament

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Inuyasha © Rumiko Takahashi

Story and OCs © Me

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Summary- A near-fatal accident leads Miroku to question himself as a father.

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It was right near the end of winter when it all happened...and when it did, it was almost as if it were all a blur. It just happened, all too quickly...and before Miroku could even stop it. He didn't intend for it, but it did...and the worst part was...he could have arrived sooner.

It was somewhere at a neighboring village, not too far from home. Miroku had promised to take his twin daughters, Shiratsuki and Haruhana with him on a demon-slaying mission; the first one after so long. Inuyasha, Kirara, and Kohaku even went along with them while Sango remained at home to look after her two sons and infant daughter. Things seemed relatively normal at first. They talked to the village headman so they'd find out what they were dealing with: a giant ogre spider that often came to the village and kidnapped people to feast upon their blood.

The group soon found the creature's lair in the heart of the forest, surrounded by thick silk. Inuyasha was quick to cut through the threads...but it was then that the beast showed itself, not taking too kindly to intruders. The group soon lunged into battle, the twins brandishing their sword and spear, respectively. However, the demon had a very tough exoskeleton and seemed impervious to their attacks. Miroku managed to weaken the creature with his sutras and Kohaku used his giant _Kusarigama_ to sever its left legs while Inuyasha lopped off the right ones.

However, the demon proved to be cowardly and attempted to escape deeper into the forest. Shiratsuki, not willing to let her first quarry get away, soon ran off after the beast with her younger twin sister following after, in spite of their father and uncle telling them to wait as they tried to make a strategy.

Miroku chased after his daughters while riding on Kirara's back...but as he neared their location, he heard something that made his heart drop right into his stomach: a bloodcurdling scream of agony.

The moment the monk got to where his daughters were...he could have sworn that his heart stopped for just a moment.

Shiratsuki was kneeling on the ground, covering her face while a panting Haruhana stood in front of her...her spear skewered through the demon's head as it lied motionless.

After the group got back to the village and collected their reward, they headed back for home later that day...but that's when Miroku noticed that something was terribly wrong.

Shiratsuki was rubbing her eyes. She blinked continuously as if something irritated them...and then she bumped right into a tree that was right in her path.

"Whoa!" Inuyasha cried as he caught her. "Easy there, Shira! Didn't you see the tree right in front of you?!"

"...No," Shiratsuki answered, grimly.

"W...what?" Miroku asked while Haruhana whimpered and covered her mouth.

"What are you saying, Shiratsuki?!" Kohaku questioned.

"I...I can't see!" Shiratsuki answered. "I can't see anything!"

XXX

When they got home later that day, Inuyasha and Miroku sent Kohaku, Kirara, and Haruhana home and immediately brought Shiratsuki to Kagome, who used every herb and remedy that Kaede taught her to use in situations such as this. She put some herbs over Shiratsuki's eyes and then wrapped bandages around them. It was during that time that she confessed to everyone what had happened: while she and her sister seemed to have the demon spider cornered, it suddenly opened its jaws unleashed a huge cloud of miasma, some of which actually got into Shiratsuki's eyes.

It was then that Kagome conveyed the horrifying reality.

"Shiratsuki should have had her eyes treated the moment she was sprayed," she told Miroku, "but...because she waited so long to say something, it could be too late to save her eyesight...but we won't know until after a few days."

If Miroku's heart could drop any lower, it would be on the floor, by now.

"...I'm...I'm sorry, Dad," Shiratsuki whispered, her tears seeping through her bandages. "I didn't say anything because I just wanted you to be proud of me...! I'm so sorry!"

She then sobbed...while Miroku pulled her into a crushing hug.

"Don't apologize," he told her. "I'm the one who should be sorry." He sniffled as tears fell from his eyes. "I...I should have gotten there, sooner!"

Inuyasha and Kagome said nothing, both of them feeling but guilt for having to tell their long-time friend about this horrible tragedy...and at the top of the stairs, Ichiro sat with Yamako and Sanka, the latter clutching at his pants leg, worriedly, and Izayoi and Usagi just remained sound asleep in their parents' bedroom, completely unaware of what was happening.

XXX

For the next few days, Miroku was very distant. He wouldn't talk to anyone. He wouldn't give Roku those affectionate head pats or play with Shio, and he didn't even give baby Unmo a kiss on her head. He didn't even give a passing glance to his own wife.

Haruhana was even worse. She didn't speak one word ever since the news was delivered about the possibility of her sister losing her eyesight.

"...Oh, Miroku," Sango whispered as she watched her husband head outside for the fifth time that same week.

"Dad's really beating himself over this, isn't he, Mom?" asked Roku.

"Well...it's not easy, dealing with accidents like this," Sango replied.

"When will Shira get better?" asked Shio.

"Well, sweetie," Sango began as she gently stroked his head, "we won't know until your Auntie Kagome takes the bandages off...but there's still a chance that your sister's going to be blind and...we'll just have to deal with it.

"...It's my fault."

Sango turned around as she heard her daughter speak for the first time in days.

"Shiratsuki's gonna go blind," Haruhana whispered, "and it's all my fault...!"

"What are you talking about, Haru?" asked Sango as she sat down with her daughter.

"...When we after the demon," Haruhana began, "I was too scared, so I froze...and Shira tried to make me run, but I couldn't...so she pushed me and then...!" She covered her eyes and sobbed. "It's all my fault!"

It was then that Sango finally understood. Shiratsuki didn't get hit by the toxic fumes out of recklessness: she was willing to sacrifice her eyesight to protect her sister.

"Oh, Haru..." Sango whispered as she hugged her.

"Why would she do that?!" asked Haruhana. "She saw that the demon was going for me! Why did she push me out of the way?!"

"Because you're her sister," Sango said. "She would have done anything for you."

"...But still...!" Haruhana whispered.

"Haru, if it were me or Roku or Unmo, you probably would have done the same thing, wouldn't you?" asked Roku.

"Of course, I would have!" Haruhana answered. "You guys are my brothers and my baby sister!"

"Then how do you think Shira felt?" Sango asked. "Haru...your sister loves you as much as you love her. She would die for you." She hugged Haruhana even tighter. "The important thing is that she's _alive._"

"...I know," Haruhana whispered, "but...it doesn't hurt any less...!"

Roku and Shio both stared at their elder sister with soft, sad eyes before they joined in hugging her.

XXX

Meanwhile, Miroku sat near the edge of the riverbank, staring up at the sky. He sighed before he looked down at the water, staring at his reflection. When he did...his eyes darkened and his brow furrowed.

"...You did this," he whispered to no one in particular. "It's your fault...your daughter's probably going to go blind, all because you couldn't get there fast enough! There's no one else to blame but YOU!"

He slapped the tip of his staff into the water, sending droplets everywhere...and then he sighed as he covered his eyes.

"Forgive me, Shiratsuki," Miroku whispered to himself. "Forgive your Father for being so utterly foolish!"

"...How can I do that?"

Miroku gasped before he turned to see Kohaku...as well as Shiratsuki, who was leaning on a transformed Kirara.

"There's nothing to forgive," Shiratsuki began, "because I already forgave you, Dad."

"Shira!" Miroku exclaimed as Shiratsuki left Kohaku's side, carefully stepping toward her father. When it looked like she might stumble, Miroku stood up and caught her before he gently set her down next to him.

"She wanted to come out here to talk to you," said Kohaku.

"Dad?" Shiratsuki asked. "Listen...I know that the thought of me going blind is scary...but the truth is I don't really care if I do."

"Why?" asked Miroku.

"...Because if I had the chance, I'd do it again," said Shiratsuki. "I'd give up my eyes, ears, even my arms and legs for Haruhana! That's why I did what I did!"

Miroku gasped silently.

"...Haruhana was terrified," said Shiratsuki. "The spider demon could sense it from her. That's why it went after her, first...so I pushed her out of the way and that's when I was hit by the miasma. After that...I couldn't see anything...but I did hear Haruhana scream...and then I heard her panting. I didn't hear the demon after that." She turned her head to Miroku, even though her eyes were concealed by her bandages. "Haruhana finished the demon off...not me. That stuff I said about wanting you to be proud of me? I lied because I didn't want you to blame her...I wanted you to be mad at me, instead, because I didn't listen to you." She turned her head to the ground. "I'm...I'm really sorry, Dad."

A pause...but then, Miroku pulled Shiratsuki into a tight embrace, causing her to gasp silently.

"How could I be angry...when all I can feel is pride?" the monk asked.

Shiratsuki could only bite her lip before she choked back a sob...and Kohaku smiled as he watched father and daughter reconcile.

XXX

Sometime after that, Kagome removed Shiratsuki's bandages and revealed that her eyesight had mostly been restored to normal..._mostly_. The resulting toxins from the miasma had left hear nearsighted, which was better than being blind.

Right now, Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha, and Kagome watched from the porch of the latter couple's house as their children played together. Ichiro was helping Izayoi take her first steps and Yamako was playing a game of catch with Usagi. Roku was playing a game of kemari with Shio. Shiratsuki sat with Haruhana, who was putting flowers in Sanka's braided hair while Mamoru and Kirara both lied together in the sun.

"...It's good that Shiratsuki's going to be all right," said Sango while she held Unmo in a papoose. "Thank you for helping, Kagome."

"It's my pleasure," Kagome replied.

"I still feel like this wouldn't have happened if I had just gotten there, sooner," said Miroku.

"Ah, stop it, already," Inuyasha rumbled as he lightly punched the monk in his arm, causing him to wince slightly. "Seriously, enough with the self-blame crap. You act like how you used to be back when you were still cursed with the Wind Tunnel!"

"Inuyasha's right, Miroku," Sango said as she put her hand on her husband's shoulder. "Stop blaming yourself. Shiratsuki certainly doesn't blame you."

"...You're right," Miroku replied with a smile as he looked to Sango. "Thank you, Sango."

Sango chuckled...before she cupped Miroku's face and gave him a soft kiss on the lips, which caused him to moan pleasantly before he broke away and gently pressed his forehead against his wife's.

"Dad!" Shiratsuki called out to Miroku. "Come here! We made you a flower necklace!"

Miroku chuckled softly before he soon stepped off the porch to join his daughters.

"You know," said Shiratsuki, "I kinda wouldn't mind being blind."

"Really?" Miroku asked as Shiratsuki placed the flower necklace around his neck. "Well...perhaps we could consider blindfold training."

"Really?!" Shiratsuki asked before she hugged Miroku. "Oh, thank you, Daddy! You're the best!"

Miroku smiled as he returned his daughter's hug. "I know..."

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My attempt at a Miroku-centric one-shot. What do you guys think?

Review, please!


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